Just heard about this from a friend of mine. And I thought nettles & poison ivy were bad!

"Giant Hogweed Identified at Russell Brook in Delaware County: Giant Hogweed has been positively identified at a number of sites at Russell Brook in the Delaware Wild Forest. The hiking public should be aware of the dangers of contacting this plant. This is the first confirmed location in Delaware County. More information on Giant Hogweed is available on DEC’s webpage http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/39809.html "

"Immediately wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and keep the area away from sunlight for 48 hours. This plant poses a serious health threat; see your physician if you think you have been burned by giant hogweed. If you think you have giant hogweed on your property, do NOT touch it. Please refer to our Health Hazards & Safety Instructions for Giant Hogweed for more information."

I will not post links to the pictures, but if you go to the DEC page and click on "health hazards & safety" you can see pretty graphically why this plant needs to be avoided.